Nova Scotia RV Parking Ban Survey

[Little Kopit]

Repeat after me: "Corner Brook is two words, Corner Brook is two words, Corner Brook is two words." Unlike Newfoundland, I can't say the 'rhymes with understand'.

Brad the Humber Valley Resort is a luxury resort, it's not a campers place. There are some restaurants...... Not bad.

Pasadena (South Brook) has a cg.

Prince Edward Park is listed in the guide. Just across the Balem Bridge on the North Shore Highway. Rates are very reasonable. Remember DoggieVet thought the sites were a little small, but I guarantee you Stan would think the full serviced sites spacious.

[brad03ca]

The Government of Nova Scotia may feel they are on the right track with the no boondock, no parking lot policy of over night camping. Before this policy was adopted,maybe some standards should have been initiated for All Nova Scotia campgrounds to follow. I have read in several forums where some C/Gs are well kept parks, while others have un-kept parks. I know its easy to just turn around and leave, but if its late, should the RVer be forced to stay in a sub- standard park because there isn't time to go else where? Not trying to start an argument with any one, I just think there should be some sort of guide lines for the parks to follow. Any one else have thoughts on this?

[Little Kopit]

Yes, Brad I do, but necessarily re. NS. In 1997 the year of celebrating the 500th anniversary of Cabot's arrival, the first big push for tourists year, our provincial government closed and sold about 12 provincial parks.

Meanwhile on the road, I, with my NL license plates, am always being asked about 'where are the campgrounds' (# 1 question I get). You see, the provincially produced road maps only give provincial and federal cgs. Private cgs are not there, as they are for other Atlantic Canada provincially produced road maps. . I've contacted the tourism association about that. There are many places in N. Am. where parking where you will is prohibited, so visitors from down south are leery about picking out a convenient gravel pit and not tuned in on this Newfounldand and Labrador tradition.

Still, budget restraints notwithstanding, I thought it was rather a contradiction in terms to be selling off cgs, while saying 'this is a promote tourism year.' Not all of these former provincial cgs are still open.

So, promoting what's there would be my way to go.

& my hobby horse for both provinces, push the idea that ferry service is an essential service. There are a lot of seniors leaving because their kids have left. Paying plane fares and ferry fares to commute from here becomes a travel factor and a stay or leave factor. A big one for me, a deciding one for me!!!!

Off island, again spotting the license plate, other campers say, 'but the ferry is so expensive'. BTW I've been doing a bit to get this point across both via media and the official routes (using directions to google searches and forums, natch).

[Stan Birch]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Little Kopit:
Off island, again spotting the license plate, other campers say, 'but the ferry is so expensive'. BTW I've been doing a bit to get this point across both via media and the official routes (using directions to google searches and forums, natch). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
While I might not be able to lend a whole lot of support for your laudable agendum; from a personal perspective, we don't find the cost of the ferry all that significant; and certainly not a deterent. After considering the fact that with our gas-guzzling motorhome, it would cost at least $50 to drive the same distance; after factoring that into the equation, the ferry is really not all that expensive.

Notwithstanding, I've heard from a host of RVers who consider the cost of the ferry to Newfoundland a major deterent. And in the majority of cases, they have really bad information, quoting costs FAR above reality.

For the purpose of attracting tourism, an educational campaign would be a good start.

As for how ferry costs might affect Island residents, I really don't have a clue when it comes to economics. While I can envision both benefits and deficits with either scenario; the appropriate course of action will ultimately be determined by a finely-tuned bottom line.

Unfortunately, quality-of-life considerations are seldom evident on the bottom line. :-(

[Little Kopit]

Ok Stan, a wee math exercise for you.

But first, it would cost you $50.00 for gas to drive 90 miles???????

Now, what I pay one way this year & next year and the year after (rates frozen) is $103.50 TC and me as passenger on boat Port aux Basques to N. Sydney. I always figure meals on board for 7-9 hours @ $20.00 and I don't eat much. So, when I count $250 round trip, I'm close. No sleeping accomodation.

Let's see if you have a extended cab full box truck, you'll be over 20 feet, plus hitch distance with a 30' TT, you'd be paying for 50 to 60' length, or $257.50 one way. & your family is 4. Meals and passenger rates comes to $180 each way. Again no sleeping set up. So, $437.50 one way, or $875.00 round trip. It would make some sense for that group to get a cabin @ $99.00.

Now, if they go to Argentia both ways it works out like this: Same rig $528.00 one way. It's a 14 hour trip. Let us say low estimate $225.00 for passenger rates and meals. So, $753 each way. Or, $1,506.00 round trip. Actually, I think some of the talk comes from those who only check Argentia.

Over the course of a year, you can see how that adds up for island residents.

I have heard the Vancouver Island residents pay much more per Km for their ferry. Ours is subsidized and the argument that this is our Trans Canada, an essential service, is trotted out all the time.

It's quite a contrast to what PEI residents pay.

[Stan Birch]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Little Kopit:
Ok Stan, a wee math exercise for you.

But first, it would cost you $50.00 for gas to drive 90 miles??????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, really! :-) I haven't yet tabulated the cost of my 15,000 km trip to the Northwest; the computer is still chugging away away in an attempt to calculate the final results. :-)

But at the outset, I calculate the distance from N Sydney to Port aux Basques to be more like 110 miles. So with a motorhome that in my most optimistic dreams manages to get as much as 10 miles per gallon, the cost for fuel alone would easily exceed $40!

&gt;Now, what I pay one way this year & next year and the year after
&gt;(rates frozen) is $103.50 TC and me as passenger on boat Port aux Basques to N. Sydney. I always figure meals on board for 7-9 hours @ $20.00 and I don't eat much. So, when I count $250 round trip, I'm close.

Okay . . that's rather expensive. But I would figure that a much more preferable approach in your campaign would be to first meet the needs of Newfies: Starting out with some sort of annual pass that at least provides Newfies with a preferential ferry-rate, if not an absolutley unlimited one-rate access to the mainland.

Tourists are whole 'nother matter. If they can't even afford the meager one-time (2X)cost of the ferry, then they probably have little to offer to the Island economy.

&gt;I have heard the Vancouver Island residents pay much more per Km for their ferry. Ours is subsidized and the argument that this is our Trans Canada, and essential service, is trotted out all the time.

The actual number of km is hardly significant when it's the only option. IIRC, the BC ferries cost somewhere around $83; while Marine Atlantic ran somewhere around $234. The fact that I can't recall the the exact cost of either of them, merely means that the cost wasn't in any way significant.

While the nonsense going on in Nova Scotia will keep us away from Nova Scotia forever . . that's a moral (immoral/ethical?) issue related to fraternizing with the enemy. The cost of the ferry to Nfld though, isn't something that will ever in any way disuade us from returning to Nfld.

[Little Kopit]

Stan,

90 miles is the cited distance. So at present prices here. $32.87. Of course, by the time you come, given any additional hurricanes or other excuses to raise the price ( ), it will be higher.

Actually, I think there is some kind of constitutional reason why residents can't receive preferential treatment

Costs more than you think. A bridge too far, I hear all too often. Just wait until I come back from my summer jaunt. I will have loads of ammo in my very personal pc.

You know Stan it's only 1 day to cross from eastern Quebec to ferry. 1,000 km, that's all. Did it last October. Done it before.

Once again, if I may compare your stand on NS. Would you refuse to go to a restaurant because their food was too salt. If you were on a low salt diet like me, may be you would. I've done it and that makes more sense to me than your black balling an entire province and all of the residents of a one province because of the actions of a small segment of the population.

[Stan Birch]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Little Kopit:
Stan, Would you refuse to go to a restaurant because their food was too salt. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hmmm . . . definitely a poor analogy. One of my very favourite resaurants in all of Canada, is Salty's, on the Halifax waterfront. :-)

http://www.saltys.ca/index.html

[Little Kopit]

Can't resist:

Rubbing 'salt' on your wound, am I????